Chapter 208

「To think he was that powerful! 」

A man was running through the Corsas Forest . The person who was running outwards of the forest with ragged breath was none other than the person who was once known as Marquis Holguin .

It was a misjudgment . Rather, he didn’t manage to discern it . He knew that the Countless Swords Sorcerer is someone extremely capable compared to the others .

The previous marquis is also born of a martial arts family . On top of that, he had been in the army since his younger times, and made various achievements to the point of becoming a stake of it .

In that process, he had witnessed many strong warriors . Exactly because of that, he was confident in his own eyes to discern who was dangerous regardless of friend or foe .

Certainly, the Countless Swords Sorcerer is strong . Despite being a sorcerer, he had the strength to win in Lotus Cup with just swordsmanship .

However, inciting the devout plump-eared priest, gathering a total of two hundred elites after getting help from Lord Thoria, he thought that even the winner of the Lotus Cup would pose no threat .

However, the overwhelming strength of the Countless Swords Sorcerer was leaps beyond what the previous marquis expected . Easily trampling over more than a hundred elites on his own, even the suicidal attacks of the inquisition soldiers only inflicted light wounds .

Although they managed to deal damage to the twins and also the woman mercenary, the fight afterwards was one-sided . A trample to be exact .

There was not a single overexaggeration when they said he won against a thousand cavalries on his own in the war .

「I must change my approach……! 」

The previous marquis finally realized that he’s not someone to be challenged upfront . Losing his private soldiers, even the elite mercenaries, inquisition soldiers and reinforcements from Lord Thoria are all likely dead by now .

Although he managed to catch a glimpse of the plump-eared priest escaping at the same time himself did, they split up while running in the forest, and there’s no knowing if he’s still alive now .

In any case, the previous marquis is still alive . Even though he lost many pawns, surviving now would mean having a chance to stand back up .

The problem was how to convince the current Marquis Holguin who is his son, and also getting through the forest in one piece .

「I-If it’s this far out……」

The rapidly beating heart was demanding him to rest . The previous marquis paused nearby and supported himself on the tree as he tried to regain his breath while looking at the ground .

「Where’s the direction…… of the capital? 」

It was a mutter to himself without expecting an answer, but an answer came immediately .

「It doesn’t concern you where it is right? After all, it’s not a place you can visit again . 」

「Wha! 」

As the previous marquis raised his head in surprise, there was a black-haired young man standing there staring at him with a gaze chilled to the bones .

「C-Countless Swords Sorcerer……! Since when!? 」

「Woah, don’t try to run . 」

A sky-colored blade extended outwards to his nose just as the previous marquis was about to turn tail reflexively .

「Hii――」

The previous marquis collapsed on his back seeing the blade close to the point of touching .

「Doing extra when a person is being docile . And pulling such extreme hands . 」

「W-What are you saying!? 」

It seems like his opponent was not resorting to violence immediately, as the previous marquis judged that there was room to talk .

「Are you pretending? 」

「I-It’s a misunderstanding! I only sortied soldiers under the church’s request! The orchestrator of the attack this time is the church! I didn’t intend to join in the first place! 」

「So? 」

「I-I will become your backing . It’s the Holguin house, if me and Duke Nyrestia were to support you, no one but only the royalty can say anything in this country . Isn’t it the best you can ask for? 」

「Are you stupid or what? With that much hostility just now, what are you trying to achieve backing off now? Do I look like a good person? 」

「Y-You are making an enemy of a marquis house!? 」

「Rather, making an enemy or not, it’s your side that chose to make an enemy of me . Enemies will be disposed of . Even my patience has its limit . If I don’t make the cut here, then there will be no ending to it . 」

The Countless Swords Sorcerer that had no expression on his face narrated . Only his eyes showed his intense will of ending the previous marquis right now .

「I’m……, I’m the marquis! I’m different from a stray dog like you! 」

「I thought the Marquis Holguin is a different person now? 」

「Guh……… . E-Either way, I’m a member of the marquis house! There’s a limit to being foolish for acting against a noble! It will never be forgiven! 」

「Heeh, 『Forgiven』 huh……」

The Countless Swords Sorcerer snorted and asked with a smile .

「So? Who’s not going to forgive me? 」

「The country, the royalty, all the other nobles! 」

「Country? Other nobles? I don’t see them here though? 」

After looking around purposefully, the Countless Swords Sorcerer continued .

「I don’t remember swearing allegiance to any country, in the first place, we’re not in a territory of the Nagras Kingdom . Here is the Corsas Forest . 」

「N-No matter what, if it becomes known that you made a move on me――」

「So who will be telling others about this situation? 」

「Wha……」

The words that overwhelmed the previous marquis caused his thoughts to stop suddenly . They’re currently in the Corsas Forest known to have dangerous beasts all around .

Only reckless explorers or mercenaries that has no choice to come here because of a request would ever set foot here . Naturally, their numbers are low, and it’s unlikely to meet another person in the forest .

In such situation, there’s only the previous marquis and the Countless Swords Sorcerer . Even if the Countless Swords Sorcerer killed the previous marquis now, there would be no one around left to convey the truth to outsiders .

After his thoughts finally managed to arrive there, the previous marquis understood his current standing . He is a powerful figure among nobles . However, that is only a phantom strength given by people .

It is the laws, customs and traditions that are protecting nobles . The weapon of a noble is political power and fortune . However, all of them are side effects originated from human society .

They hold no meaning at all at a place where no one else is around .

「Looks like you finally realized . Here is not your house and not even close to any human settlements . It’s not even considered a place where humans can leave . Certainly, you might be a noble, but what purpose would that serve you here? 」

The previous marquis was stunned at the reality .

Having born as a noble, wielding its power, being someone who should be respected, he only had the idea that nobles are a prestigious being that commoners should follow unconditionally . Factually, that was the world he was born in .

Territory, social circles, even the milliary are organizations made up of human groups . The previous marquis was isolated from all of that for the first time in his life .

A place where other than himself, only existed people that wanted to kill him . As his thoughts reached there, the previous marquis for the first time felt true fear .

「S-Sorry……」

It was an apology that came out first .

「It…… was my wrong . I apologize, sincerely . During the Lotus Cup, I acknowledge my wrongdoing in its entirety . I swear I will not make a move on you in the future . I will also make the church nullify the heretic branding . 」

He faced back towards the Countless Swords Sorcerer, and for the first time kowtowed to a commoner . As a noble, there would be no greater embarrassment, but his survival instincts were overwhelming all of that .

「So…… please help . I beg you, spare……」

「What are you saying this late . It’s not even at a stage you can apologize any more . Also, I’m not a good enough person to believe words from someone like you . 」

Not intending to listen to the previous marquis’s pleads, the Countless Swords Sorcerer took a few steps backwards after stabbing a sword into the ground .

「However, I will give you a chance seeing your apology . Take up the sword, I don’t have interest in beating unresisting people . 」

Knowing that there’s no way he could escape, the previous marquis’s instincts ordered him to fight for his life . And the fear that had lightened turned into shame and anger swelling up in his chest .

The previous marquis glared at the Countless Swords Sorcerer with a piercing gaze as he raised his head .

「Ku……, this stray dog! 」

Taking up the sword in the ground, the previous marquis rode on the momentum and slashed .

「Die, brat! 」

Although now already considered old, he was a person to have been in the army for more than thirty years .

Naturally, being a noble meant that his experience swinging a sword in the frontline is lacking, but as a commanding officer, training was nonetheless carried out regularly . That’s why, he had the ability to match equally with normal mercenaries .

Despite so, the scale is too unbalanced . The moment the Countless Swords Sorcerer swung his sword horizontally, the previous marquis’s sword rang out dully and split into two .

His right hand that was deflected by the momentum felt intense pain the next moment .

「Guaaak――! 」

A sword was growing out of his right hand . Or rather, that was how it looked like . With no idea where it came from, the sword that appeared suddenly pierced through his right hand, and fixed it onto the tree trunk .

「I would’ve cut your head right off if you only came for me, but it’s a different story so far . That was for Minerva who had her future stolen and her life threatened . 」

The words of the Countless Swords Sorcerer never made it to the previous marquis .

The previous marquis whose only instincts at that moment was to pull out the sword piercing through his right hand, but another sharp pain came from his left leg .

「This is for injuring Fillia . 」

Quicker than he could realize the pain, another sword pierced his left shoulder .

「And for Riana . 」

With two more swords piercing through his body, the previous marquis himself was now stuck to the tree like his right hand .

「Igyii―――! 」

「I wanted to make you regret your actions more but, there’s not much time to waste here . After all, there’s one more I have to catch . 」

The previous marquis begged for his life without a shred of integrity with tears and snot dripping . That figure was no longer a significant noble of the kingdom, but only a plain human trying to escape from his pains without any regards to shame and appearance .

「H-Help――」

「I said it already right . It’s too late . 」

The Countless Swords Sorcerer mercilessly gave his conclusion to the pleading man . Within the cloudy vision stained with tears, the previous marquis saw the sword swing . The next moment, he felt his vision slowly tilted and fell onto the ground, before entirely covered in darkness .